Hate speech bill distasteful, lawmakers should be be productive, says Olanipekun

ASENIOR Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun, has urged the upper chamber of the National Assembly not to “waste its time reworking” the Hate Speech Bill, urging its withdraw and “focus on something more productive.”

He asserted that besides the fact that the piece of legislation breaches the fundamental human right of freedom of expression as provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), there were other “pressing issues that should engage the attention of the federal parliament at this time.”

The constitutional lawyer warned that the bill would generate bad blood and disunity among Nigerians. Olanipekun spoke at the weekend during his yearly scholarship awards to over 100 indigent but brilliant students through the Wole Olanipekun Foundation at Ikere Ekiti.

The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) therefore urged the National Assembly to focus attention on sponsoring bills that would cushion the effects of insecurity, poor education, hardship, bad roads among others.

He said: “I am happy to note that it is not an executive bill. You know you can have an executive bill, members’ bill or private bill. This bill is being initiated from or by the members themselves. I am happy because the bill didn’t originate from the presidency. I think we are mixing a lot of things up. People are commenting that Buhari want to gag the press. I do not agree with them because the bill did not cone from the presidency. But it is unfortunate that it is coming from the National Assembly.